The first weeks of a new year always feel like a fresh page — not blank, exactly, but open.
With Valentine’s Day in February, I’ve been reflecting on what we choose to love. For me, it’s the journey — the conversations, the courage, the curiosity that keeps life expanding.
So far this year I have had two joyful firsts: pickleball in Sarasota and my first world premiere on Hollywood Boulevard — plus Manhattan meetings, podcast milestones, and the steady unfolding of new stories.
🏆 1st Place — Podcast Host
I’m deeply honored to share that I won 1st Place for Podcast Hostat the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Podcasting — through Make Your Own Map — has become one of my favorite spaces to connect. Long-form, thoughtful, human. To be recognized nationally in arts and entertainment journalism for something that feels so personal is incredibly meaningful.
Thank you for listening. Truly.
🎬 Firsts
In Sarasota, I took my first-ever pickleball lesson — laughing through missed shots and wondering why I hadn’t tried it sooner. And then, on Hollywood Boulevard, I attended my first world premiere.
Celebrating Hoppers from Pixar and The Walt Disney Company at the historic El Capitan Theatre felt like stepping into classic cinema magic. The marquee lights. The velvet seats. The organ rising from the stage.
The “Pond Rules,” King George tells Mabel stayed with me:
Rule #1: “Don’t be a stranger. It’s harder to be mad at someone if you know their name.” Rule #2: “When you gotta eat, eat.” Rule #3: “We are all in this together.”
It struck me how aligned that message is with travel, storytelling, even podcasting. We’re stronger when we leap together.
🌎 On the Road
☀️ Sarasota — Firsts & Florida Energy
At Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch with Taylor Morrison, I took my first pickleball lesson, golfed while alligators calmly observed nearby (very Florida), and explored a vibrant community designed for connection. It felt active, welcoming, joyful.
🗽 New York — IMM
From palm trees to Manhattan for TravMedia’s 2026 International Media Marketplace. IMM is where future stories begin — thoughtful meetings, new partnerships, ideas that will turn into coverage.
🧊🚢 Antarctica 🐧
Antarctica continues to ripple outward through interviews and features. The silence, the scale, the humility of that landscape still stays with me. Sharing those stories remains a privilege.
🎙️ Make Your Own Map — Now in 67 Countries
The podcast continues to grow in ways that feel both surreal and deeply grounding.
We’re now streaming in 67 countries.
In just the past week alone, three new countries joined the community:
Recent additions also include: Indonesia 🇮🇩 Croatia 🇭🇷 Serbia 🇷🇸 Hungary 🇭🇺 Brazil 🇧🇷
Every new country feels like another seat at the table — another reminder that courage, reinvention, and meaningful travel resonate across borders.
If you’re listening from one of these places, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re here.
🎙️ Recently on my Podcast
Sailing Tahiti aboard Star Breeze with Windstar Cruises and interviewing Joanna Vapor, Shore Excursions manager, about small-ship magic and turquoise lagoons.
Diving inside EPCOT and talking with dive guide Kenny Dyal about this bucket list opportunity where I saw my first hammerhead shark up close!
Sharing about polar bear walking safaris in conversation with expert guide Terry Elliot from Churchill Wild.
I’m heading to Tucson for a two-day Brandeis Alumni Author event — four authors, shared stages, meaningful dialogue. I’ll be there with BRAVE-ish, which continues to travel almost as much as I do.
And in Austin, I’ll be at SXSW with The Female Quotient — where BRAVE-ish will be featured on the book-SHE-lf. I love seeing the book spark conversations and bringing me to new cities and conferences!
Michael wrote: “The title, Brave-ish, is a little misleading. The title should have been Bravest… this book challenged me to be a bit more brave myself.”
Jana titled her review: “The girl has spunk!”
I’m not exactly sure what I expected when I started this book, but it ended up being much more than I bargained for. Lisa Niver takes us on her very personal journey through the trauma of abuse to the joys of solo travel. The life she has created for herself is nothing short of remarkable. For anyone who finds themselves in a position where life has other plans, Brave-ish is a rich inspiration. I cried with Lisa’s lows and celebrated and laughed at her accomplishments, of which she has many. You CAN turn your life around.
From trauma to travel, from pages to people — proof that courage can grow, bravery doesn’t have to be perfect, and none of us has to do it alone.
My heart is full.
💛
Grateful for the journey. Grateful for you. And excited for wherever the next boarding pass leads. ✈️
My students are in 12 countries so far: Australia, Canada, India, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, USA! Join us on the adventure of travel writing!
THANK YOU for watching my award-winning podcast, Make Your Own Map: Are YOU ready to be BRAVE? It has now been seen and heard in 67 countries on 7 continents.
People always ask me where is it best to buy my book. I recommend you go into or call your favorite local book store and ask them to order it for you and pick it up IN THE STORE! You never know what other treasures you will find. Any bookstore can order my book because my publisher is Post Hill Press and it is distributed by Simon and Schuster. My book is now in the library on Quark Ultramarine, Windstar StarBreeze, NCL Escape and in the store at Dubray bookstore on Grafton in Dublin, Ireland! Brave-ish is available all over the globe!
Success in the war against Iran – which every American and Israeli should hope for – will only strengthen the tendency of both leaders to highlight their dominant personalities as the state axis, at the expense of the boring institutions that serve them.
Tangy, bright and filled with irresistible umami flavor, turshi is the perfect complement to burgers, kebabs and chicken, as well as the perfect foil for eggs and salads.
On Purim, re-reading Persia, we stand at the intersection of the past and this very moment. May we merit not merely a temporary cessation of war, but true peace — the ultimate end of all conflict.
When future generations tell your story and mine, which parts will look obvious in hindsight? What opportunities will we have leveraged — and decisions made — that define our legacy?
For over half a decade, I had seen how the slow drip of antisemitism, carefully enveloped in the language of social justice and human rights, had steadily poisoned people whom I had previously considered perfectly reasonable.
Today, amid rising global antisemitism and uncertainty in the Diaspora, many Anglos considering aliyah are searching not only for housing but for belonging.
Their assumptions about the attack on Iran are based on a belief in the resilience of an evil terrorist regime, coupled with a conviction that Trump’s belief in the importance of the U.S.-Israel alliance is inherently wrong.
As Bar Ilan University professor Joshua Berman engagingly and convincingly demonstrates in his “Echoes of Egypt” Haggadah, the process by which the Passover story took shape was as a polemic against the belief system and symbols of authority of Pharaoh and his people.
We may never know each other’s names. We may never meet. Yet for those minutes, across oceans, time zones, and screens, we share something deeply human.
This moment calls for moral imagination. For solidarity with the Iranian people demanding dignity. For sustained support of those who seek a freer future.
We are struggling on two fronts: we worry about friends and family, and we are preoccupied with our own “survival” on a trip extended beyond our control.
In the film, Leo Woodall plays Niki White, a gifted young piano tuner in New York whose heightened auditory abilities allow him to detect even the faintest mechanical sounds.
Mapping the Year: Niver’s Feb News 2026
Lisa Ellen Niver
✨ January + February 2026: Mapping the Year
The first weeks of a new year always feel like a fresh page — not blank, exactly, but open.
With Valentine’s Day in February, I’ve been reflecting on what we choose to love. For me, it’s the journey — the conversations, the courage, the curiosity that keeps life expanding.
So far this year I have had two joyful firsts: pickleball in Sarasota and my first world premiere on Hollywood Boulevard — plus Manhattan meetings, podcast milestones, and the steady unfolding of new stories.
🏆 1st Place — Podcast Host
I’m deeply honored to share that I won 1st Place for Podcast Host at the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Podcasting — through Make Your Own Map — has become one of my favorite spaces to connect. Long-form, thoughtful, human. To be recognized nationally in arts and entertainment journalism for something that feels so personal is incredibly meaningful.
Thank you for listening. Truly.
🎬 Firsts
In Sarasota, I took my first-ever pickleball lesson — laughing through missed shots and wondering why I hadn’t tried it sooner. And then, on Hollywood Boulevard, I attended my first world premiere.
Celebrating Hoppers from Pixar and The Walt Disney Company at the historic El Capitan Theatre felt like stepping into classic cinema magic. The marquee lights. The velvet seats. The organ rising from the stage.
The “Pond Rules,” King George tells Mabel stayed with me:
Rule #1: “Don’t be a stranger. It’s harder to be mad at someone if you know their name.” Rule #2: “When you gotta eat, eat.” Rule #3: “We are all in this together.”
It struck me how aligned that message is with travel, storytelling, even podcasting. We’re stronger when we leap together.
🌎 On the Road
☀️ Sarasota — Firsts & Florida Energy
At Esplanade at Azario Lakewood Ranch with Taylor Morrison, I took my first pickleball lesson, golfed while alligators calmly observed nearby (very Florida), and explored a vibrant community designed for connection. It felt active, welcoming, joyful.
🗽 New York — IMM
From palm trees to Manhattan for TravMedia’s 2026 International Media Marketplace. IMM is where future stories begin — thoughtful meetings, new partnerships, ideas that will turn into coverage.
🧊🚢 Antarctica 🐧
Antarctica continues to ripple outward through interviews and features. The silence, the scale, the humility of that landscape still stays with me. Sharing those stories remains a privilege.
🎙️ Make Your Own Map — Now in 67 Countries
The podcast continues to grow in ways that feel both surreal and deeply grounding.
We’re now streaming in 67 countries.
In just the past week alone, three new countries joined the community:
67 — Iraq 🇮🇶 (Feb 25, 2026) 66 — Ecuador 🇪🇨 (Feb 24, 2026) 65 — Lithuania 🇱🇹 (Feb 18, 2026)
Recent additions also include: Indonesia 🇮🇩 Croatia 🇭🇷 Serbia 🇷🇸 Hungary 🇭🇺 Brazil 🇧🇷
Every new country feels like another seat at the table — another reminder that courage, reinvention, and meaningful travel resonate across borders.
If you’re listening from one of these places, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re here.
🎙️ Recently on my Podcast
📚 Brave-ish Book World
I’m heading to Tucson for a two-day Brandeis Alumni Author event — four authors, shared stages, meaningful dialogue. I’ll be there with BRAVE-ish, which continues to travel almost as much as I do.
And in Austin, I’ll be at SXSW with The Female Quotient — where BRAVE-ish will be featured on the book-SHE-lf. I love seeing the book spark conversations and bringing me to new cities and conferences!
✍️ By Me
Recent stories include: Helicopter adventures, Underwater Adventures with my scuba dive at EPCOT, my first airboat and staying at Four Seasons Orlando, Tahiti with Windstar Cruises, Caribbean with NCL Escape, and three new features with Bored Panda on Antarctica, French Polynesia and Florida.
📰 About Me
New interviews in Shoutout LA and VoyageLA
Sharing Red Flags on Dara Levan’s Podcast: Every Soul Has A Story
💙 Reader Highlights
Two brand-new 5⭐️ reviews on Amazon from two brand-new friends I met on a Windstar cruise — and they both read BRAVE-ish.
Michael wrote: “The title, Brave-ish, is a little misleading. The title should have been Bravest… this book challenged me to be a bit more brave myself.”
Jana titled her review: “The girl has spunk!”
From trauma to travel, from pages to people — proof that courage can grow, bravery doesn’t have to be perfect, and none of us has to do it alone.
My heart is full.
💛
Grateful for the journey. Grateful for you. And excited for wherever the next boarding pass leads. ✈️
Learn more about my events: click here and my articles here
Want to travel more? I have a Travel Writer 101 class on Udemy.
My students are in 12 countries so far: Australia, Canada, India, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, USA! Join us on the adventure of travel writing!
THANK YOU for watching my award-winning podcast, Make Your Own Map: Are YOU ready to be BRAVE? It has now been seen and heard in 67 countries on 7 continents.
Have you heard my recent podcast episodes?
WATCH my podcast, “MAKE YOUR OWN MAP: ” on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Podcast, Google Podcasts, Audacy, Audible, Anchor, Pandora & iHeart Radio
WHERE CAN YOU FIND MY TRAVEL VIDEOS?
Here is the link to my video channel on YouTube where I now have over 2.6 Million views on YouTube! (now at: 2,648,746).
I hope you will join me and subscribe! For more We Said Go Travel articles, TV segments, videos and social media: CLICK HERE
Find me on social media with over 150,000 followers. Please follow me on social @LisaNiver TikTok, X Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, BlueSky and at LisaNiver.com.
Do you LOVE my book BRAVE-ish? PLEASE WRITE A REVIEW!! Click here to go directly to rate or review BRAVE-ish on Amazon (now at 66 reviews. Help me get to 75) You can find my book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Simon & Schuster, Post Hill Press, Target, Walmart, BookShop, BAM! and wherever you get your audiobooks!
People always ask me where is it best to buy my book. I recommend you go into or call your favorite local book store and ask them to order it for you and pick it up IN THE STORE! You never know what other treasures you will find. Any bookstore can order my book because my publisher is Post Hill Press and it is distributed by Simon and Schuster. My book is now in the library on Quark Ultramarine, Windstar StarBreeze, NCL Escape and in the store at Dubray bookstore on Grafton in Dublin, Ireland! Brave-ish is available all over the globe!
You can also find me now on SUBSTACK!
Grateful for the journey. Grateful for you. And excited for wherever the next boarding pass leads. ✈️
Roses are red, Violets are blue, Life is short — Let’s see something new.
Being BRAVE-ish means booking the flight. Taking the trip. Calling the friend. Saying, “Come with me.”
It’s what 50 challenges before 50 taught me — don’t wait. Don’t overthink. Go.
Love looks like shared sunsets. Missed turns that become discoveries. Hand squeezes at takeoff. Group texts that turn into plane tickets.
Grateful for the friends, the family, the fellow adventurers who choose courage over comfort and memories over things.
Valentine’s Day may be over — but love of travel? That’s forever.
The world is wide. I’m still saying yes.
Who’s coming? ✈️🌎💛
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